MY favorite Christmas Stories

So, I happen to know Santa Claus.  He's a pretty cool guy.  He's done some amazing things over the years, and I'd like to share some of them with you.

Kindergarten Christmas in Recovery:
This is not as bad as it sounds.  The year I was in kindergarten, I had tonsillitis.  A lot.  So, I had to have the darn things taken out.  Before Christmas break.  Before the holiday party.  In kindergarten.  I was bummed!  However, in the present exchange, the person who drew my name gave me a coloring book and crayons to have with me in the hospital during my recovery.  It was awesome.  I know that Santa had a hand in making sure my Christmas was wonderful that year.

Christmas in June:
Santa is around all the time, not just at Christmas. One year for my birthday in June, I had one of the most wonderful Christmas experiences a girl with a summer birthday could have – Christmas dinner in June. In Florida. In a restaurant decorated for Christmas all year long. It was a place called The Paw Paw Tree, and my grandfather Higham made a big to-do about it. I was smiling ear-to-ear the entire meal. We had turkey and ham and stuffing and mashed potatoes and pie and apple cider...it was amazing! Since I almost never spent a Christmas with Grandpa Higham, it was a true blessing. That was Santa’s way of reminding all of us that love of family is important.

Santa knows WHERE you are for Christmas:
Santa can find you if he needs to.  One year we were going to be traveling to Ohio to visit my grandparents, and we were worried that Santa wouldn't be able to get us our presents.  We wrote him a letter to let him know, and he came through!  While we were at Sunday School and Church the day before our trip, Santa dropped off our presents early so we could enjoy our family Christmas.

Similarly, another year, Santa managed to find us AT our grandparents' house.  He even managed to put out all the presents under the tree in the living room WHERE WE WERE SLEEPING. Amazing.


Santa sends you what you need, even if it is far away:
I was let go from a job, for the very first time in my life, on December 11, 2007.  I had just financed a vehicle and been proposed to in September that year.  I was planning a wedding, and a future, with JR, and I had no idea if any of it was going to work out.  I was devastated.  I talked with my family often during that time, and my kid brother, with whom I have always had (and will always have) a close, special, different relationship than my sisters, said he would drive up on Christmas day with his daughter Courtney so I could be with family at Christmas.  I was so touched, and excited, and weepy... It's quite a haul from NW Tennessee to Chicagoland...especially in December.  It was late and cold and dark when my brother called to let me know he was close by.  I talked him through the winding road back to my apartment, and I ran down the stairs to grab my brother and niece in a big hug.  What happened instead is pure Christmas magic.  I got to the bottom of the stairs as the truck was pulling up.  Instead of my brother in the driver seat, it was my DAD!  He had made the trip with my brother because he knew I needed him.  That visit made all the difference to me.  I cried and cried when they left a few days later, but I had been able to spend some part of my holiday with family - family who love me so much they sacrificed time together to give me a bright day!

How could I not love Christmas with all these wonderful stories?  There are so many more, but these are the stories that make my heart sing...

What is so special about October 25?

Evidently, more than I realized...

October 25, 2008: I married my husband JR.

October 25, 2004: I went on my first date with JR.

October 25, 2003: I met my friend Tanya for the first time in Red Bank, New Jersey.  I also met Kevin Smith, his wife Jen, Jason Mewes, Brian O'Halloran, and several other ViewAskew peeps...

October 25, 2003: Also the day that JR was Man-of-Honor in his friends' wedding (L & D).

I decided to look up any other importance with the day online, and here is a sampling of what I found:

1400 Author Geoffrey Chaucer died in London.

1764 John Adams marries Abigail Smith.

1854 The Charge of the Light Brigade took place at Balaklava during the Crimean War.
 
1881 Pablo Ruiz Picasso was born.
 
1939 Nylon stockings go on sale in U.S. for first time.
 
1962 Author John Steinbeck was awarded the Nobel Prize in literature.
 
1971 Roy Disney dedicates Walt Disney World.
 
1982 - The first episode of "Newhart" aired on CBS.
 
1990 - The 200th episode of "Cheers" aired on NBC.
 
2001 Microsoft released the Windows XP operating system.
 
2006 - On the Opra Winfrey show, an interview with Madonna aired.

The Passing of Time

Three years ago today (well, tonight, really), I entered a new phase of my life.  My dear (then) boyfriend at the time took me to have dinner at one of our favorite restaurants - Aodake Sushi & Hibachi.  I believed we were celebrating the fact that we were meeting some of my family the next day at a half-way point so Mom could hand over her truck to me (I had just purchased it from her).

We had a wonderful dinner, and he was being quite silly...after dinner, we went back to my apartment.  With my roommate out for the night, we were simply watching some television.  At one point, though, and I can't be sure of the details on how this happened, we were both standing in the entry hall.  He was being very shmoopy and loving and letting me know how much he loved me and how happy he was.  It went on for several minutes, maybe an hour, and I was blushing and smiling and crying.  He finally swung me around and asked, "Do you want to surprise your family tomorrow?"  I was very confused, since they KNEW we were meeting them.  He dropped to one knee, pulled out the ring that had been in his pocket throughout dinner, and asked me to be his wife.  I was shocked, amazed, and bursting with love and tears...after a few moments, I looked him in the eye and said, "YES!"

We did surprise my family the next day, and we all celebrated.

Three years ago, JR proposed.  So many things have happened since then, and I am looking forward to what happens next.

A Perfect Thank You / A Night of Reflection

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My husband, as a thank you for my taking care of him this past week while he has been sick, took me out for sushi and a movie.  He told me the movie was a surprise, and I was honestly scared.  This man once took me to see a "surprise" movie that ended up being Paranormal Activity.  It scared me so much that I was sitting on the edge of the seat rocking back and forth.

This, however, was a wonderful surprise.  After reading one of my recent blogs and its comments, my husband decided to thank me for taking care of him by treating me to a movie I wanted to see...along with about 50 school-age girls and their mothers.  He took me to see Ramona and Beezus.

My heart was overflowing - he had done something wonderful for me, and I felt like it was more than enough to thank me for my taking care of him while he was sick - I feel like that is my responsibility.  His appreciation was awesome.

The movie was wonderful.  All at once, it made me happy to be a wife, a daughter, a sister, and an aunt.

I am Dorothy Quimby (Ramona's mom) - the wife who tries to hold it all together and be supportive even in tough situations, who loves her family very much and tries to take things in stride.

I am Ramona - the daughter who always felt like she was just a clumsy mess, getting in the way of everything, and believing the rest of the family would be better off without her...I learned, over time, that I was an important part of the family, and we all were better because of each other.

I am Beezus - the oldest sister who had to be a grown-up sometimes while she was still young, the sister who had to put up with the annoyances of younger siblings, but who still loved them with her whole heart and would do anything to ensure their happiness.

I am Aunt Bea - the aunt who lets my nieces know that I believe they each hung the moon, who takes each one on a special outing alone, and who takes them all out together whenever I can.  I am the aunt who teaches them the lessons their parents try to teach them by phrasing things the way I know they understand (and they will listen, because I am not their mother).

I laughed and cried and cried and laughed throughout the movie.  It brought back the memories of the Ramona books for me, and the memories of my childhood with my younger siblings...

Go see this movie.  You will not regret it.

Pumpkin Season is Upon Us!

It is September, so I declare the beginning of pumpkin season!

I love pumpkins.  I mean, I really, really love pumpkins.  I am like Bubba with shrimp when I start listing out the pumpkin-related foods I have tried:

pumpkin pie

pumpkin bread

pumpkin muffins

pumpkin pancakes

pumpkin waffles

pumpkin coffee

pumpkin soup

pumpkin cookies

pumpkin cobbler

pumpkin cheesecake

pumpkin ice cream

pumpkin seeds, roasted

pumpkin lasagna

pumpkin spice latte

pumpkin spice hot cocoa

I also love decorating with pumpkins and other fall decor...our wedding had an autumn theme.  For the ceremony, the bride's maids wore rich copper dresses, and their bouquets were deep autumn colors.  The groom's men had coordinating vests/ties.  My dress was ivory with champagne accents, and JR wore a champagne vest and tie.  The flower girls (Autumn Fairies) scattered silk fall leaves instead of flower petals.  The unity candle holder and taper holders had pumpkins in and around them. 

At the reception, we had mini pumpkins and gourds on the tables with silk fall leaves scattered all over.  The table numbers were cut-outs of fall leaves in rich autumn colors, and the bud vases that held the numbers were filled with tiny acrylic pumpkins.  The place card holders were mini pumpkins.  The only thing that was NOT pumpkin- or fall-related was the cake "topper."  We had Superman and Wonder Woman figures for that.  ;-)

This year I vow to try even more pumpkin-flavored treats...and I vow to remember why it is I love pumpkin so much - my husband and I share a love of pumpkin, a love of autumn, and a love of a lifetime.

The Cupcake Debacle

I love cupcakes.  They make me happy.  This is something my friend over at "little bitty bites" and I have in common, other than high school...

I had six beautiful cupcakes just like this.

I had a wonderful six-pack of yellow cupcakes with butter cream frosting starting on Saturday night.  By Sunday afternoon, I had three left.  And by Sunday night, I had NONE.  ZERO.  They were gone.  I miss my cupcakes.  I'd like to say I am ashamed to have eaten six cupcakes in 24 hours.  It's happened.  I am a little ashamed to say I ate three cupcakes in 12 hours, and I am sad to say I didn't get the other three...

What happened, you ask?  Stryker.  Stryker happened.

I've been such a proud puppy mommy for the last week, and then last night - The Cupcake Debacle.  Stryker has been so well-behaved that we've given him some privileges over the last week.  The first few days, he had the basement to himself.  Then, we started leaving him to wander in the house with the doors closed to rooms we didn't want him in.  Last night we let Stryker have the run of the house while we went to a concert.  He had eaten his dinner, and he had been walked and let out, so we felt safe.  I inadvertently left our bedroom door open...that was MY mistake. 

I own that.

When we finally arrived home from the concert sometime around midnight, all seemed well.  Stryker was a little sleepy, but he still met us at the door.  I let him out, and we played with him for a bit.  I looked around, and everything seemed to be in place.  When I went upstairs to the bedroom to change into jammies I turned on the light, pulled out my clothes, spun around to turn on the television, and shrieked, "Ahhhhh! Stryker!"  My  husband immediately yelled, "What did he do!?!?!?"  My response:

"HE.    ATE.    MY.    CUPCAKES. 

ALL.    OF.    THEM."

On top of completely obliterating my hair pick (luckily, I had two), he had taken the plastic container of my treasured snacks and destroyed it.  He ate all the remaining cupcakes, all six wrappers, licked up all traces of butter cream frosting and sprinkles, and shredded the plastic container.

I wish this was what was left of my cupcakes...

The packaging he ate through.

So today Stryker will be in the basement, having lost his house-roaming privileges...I will have to be more careful about where I store my precious cupcakes going forward...perhaps I will keep them in the guest room (the door is always closed to that room) so that I can enjoy the cupcakes without worry. 

Stryker's first night and first morning at home

Stryker is proving to be an amazing dog.  He lets us know when he needs to go outside.  He does not try to eat our food.  He will sit, lay down, and stay in his dog bed.  He is so good at fetch with his rope toy.  He had a great time playing with us last night in the basement. 

My favorite thing, however, was that he spent part of the night sleeping at my feet...it was awesome.  My husband takes up the length of the bed with his 6ft 6in frame, but when I curl up, there is plenty of room for Stryker.  If I stretched out, he stretched out between JR and me, and rested his head on my shoulder.  We love this dog so much already!

Stryker woke me only once in the middle of the night to go out.  He rested his head on the bed and whimpered very quietly.  I got up and took him out, and he ran right back into the house and up both sets of stairs to the bedroom.

This morning when the alarm went off, he was between JR and me, and his head popped up, very alert.  He was ready for a walk!  I got up, dressed, and leashed him up, grabbing some plastic bags for the trip, and off we went.  We walked for about 45 minutes, and it was great.  We got back to the house and played in the yard a little while longer, then we went back inside so I could get ready for work.  When I got out of the shower, Stryker was in bed with my husband, and they were adorable! I wish I had the camera handy because as soon as I walked in, Stryker jumped up...

I am looking forward to getting home tonight to play with, walk with, and love on Stryker (and JR, too).  This family became even more connected yesterday.  I truly believe that having Stryker in our lives will give us the motivation we need to keep moving and get that exercise in every day!  No more slouching around for us...we can't possibly spend an entire day without leaving the house anymore.

When I met JR, I knew he was the one.  When we went to look at the house we now call our home for the first time, we knew it was the one.  When we met Stryker on Saturday, we knew he was the one...

A New Addition

The Andersons welcomed a new member to the family today.  Stryker (Ted Stryker Anderson).  We visited him yesterday at the West Suburban Humane Society and put a hold on him to consider it overnight.  I was so excited this morning that I couldn't sit still waiting for the minutes and hours to pass until the shelter was open and we could go see him again!  We played with him for about 20 minutes and realized we were just sure - he was going home with us!  We went inside to the office and took care of the paperwork. 

They brought him out to us, and the whole family jumped in the truck and went to the pet store for a doggie bed, a rope toy (it was his favorite at the shelter, so we got a similar one), food and water dishes, and some other essentials.  The shelter provided us with some food and his medicine (he's currently got a bout of upset tummy, but he's well house trained).  He's micro chipped, neutered, and vaccinated.  We plan on taking him to the vet within the next two weeks to get a thorough check, but he's gorgeous and happy!  Take a look:

(Ted) Stryker Anderson

We have been playing with him most of the day, and we just came home from an awesome 45-minute walk.  He is amazing, and we love him already!  We are all set to go pick up some more things at the pet store and give this gorgeous Brittany/Collie mix the forever home he's always wanted!

Baked Orange Roughy with a Parmesan Sauce Topping

I knew I wanted to make fish, but I wasn't sure what kind. I took the cookbook with me to the grocery store so I could compare fresh-fish availability to recipes...

I came up with Orange Roughy baked with a Parmesan Sauce Topping. Yum yum!

The Parmesan sauce topping was merely light mayo, Worcestershire sauce, grated Parmesan cheese, and some salt & pepper. I coated the fillets with that and baked them until the fish was cooked through.

In the meantime, I made a fresh slaw mix with a light dressing (light mayo, lemon juice, lime juice, olive oil, salt & pepper).

It was delicious! The Parmesan sauce topping was a huge hit, and the slaw was a nice side.

We will be having this again!

Mediterranean Pasta with Shrimp

So, I forgot to bring my cookbook with me to work on Wednesday...I decided instead to look up some recipes on diabetes.org.

I found Mediterranean Pasta with Shrimp - whole wheat egg noodles, ready-to-use shrimp, thawed chopped spinach, fat-free yogurt, feta cheese, garlic, salt & pepper. Really simple.

I also made a Greek side salad of diced cucumber, diced tomatoes, diced onion, diced bell pepper, grated garlic, yogurt, olive oil, salt & pepper.

Well, this was the first bust. I loved the salad. JR liked the pasta...

It seems the Andersons don't do Greek...

They can't all be winners!

Chicken Paella

After the success of the first meal on Sunday night prepared from the diabetic cookbook, I went through every recipe with my husband so we could determine which things we would definitely like, which things we would try, and which things we should not even think about (like anything with only vegetables in it - he won't eat that).

Monday, I picked out the next recipe to try: Chicken Paella. Proudly I can tell you that I only needed two ingredients from the store - a can of stewed tomatoes and a red bell pepper. The paella was simple - one skillet, chicken breast cut into strips and browned, onion, garlic, low-sodium chicken broth, parsley, rice, stewed tomatoes, bell pepper, frozen peas & carrots, seasonings (including turmeric). It was ready in about 30 minutes.

JR loved it! I loved it! Another win for the recipes!

Salmon in a Garlic Bath

My first try at creating a diabetic-friendly meal came directly from the diabetes cookbook I've been using (credit and picture to come). It sounded so delicious, so we tried it.

Salmon fillets in a baking dish with a "bath" of low-sodium chicken broth, olive oil, minced garlic, dry white wine, and coarsely chopped fresh parsley - baked till the fish is flaky. I positioned the fillets in the baking dish so that they formed a circle with each other.

I made brown rice, peas & carrots, and grilled shrimp skewers as sides.

I plated the meal: 1 fillet each, semi-circle shaped & positioned to match the outline of the plate; a big scoop of brown rice in the "pocket" of the fish; a big scoop of peas and carrots to complete the circle; two shrimp skewers each in an X pattern atop the other items.

Beautiful.

In my husband's best Gordon Ramsey impression, he gave his critique:

"Nice presentation. Tammy - look at this. The fish. It's cooked perfectly. On to the peas & carrots. A little pedestrian, but flavored well. The rice is overcooked. The seasoning on the shrimp is clean and simple. Delicious. Now bugger off."

For a first attempt at cooking a completely diabetic-friendly meal, I was impressed with myself. Whew!

The Measurement of Success

With less than 24 hours to go before our first big party in our new house, I walked in the door at 6:30pm Friday night to see that I still had a lot of work to do before a party could be had. A. LOT.

I dug in, and by 1:30am, I was ready for bed. After a shower. The great room (with all the boxes still piled up) was completely unpacked, organized, and decorated. The bedrooms were clean. The basement was clean, and the kitchen was getting there...

I woke up Saturday morning at 7:30 and sprayed some weeds to get my blood pumping. After an awesome bad-for-me breakfast supplied by my sweet husband, we started up again...Made the bed, cleaned up the clothes, scrubbed down the kitchen, vacuumed the basement, sanitized the bathrooms, and swept and Swiffer-wet-jetted the floors.

With one hour till the party, JR was finishing up the shopping and I was jumping into the shower...the first guests arrived promptly at 2:00pm while JR was showering.

People came and went all night - lots of great food, great drinks, great conversation, and many compliments on the house. We feel very lucky to have such great friends and family who could come share the fun of a new house with us.

The success of our housewarming party was measured in the smiles on faces, the hugs and laughter, the conversation always moving, and the completely relaxed feeling I have today as I clean up from all the fun...

For TGJ: I DID do it! Thanks for the motivation, as always!

Woot! When can we have another party???

Deadlines

I work with deadlines every day in my job...in my personal life, I tend to let things slide a bit. My husband knows this, and he sets deadlines for me to get things done. He sets these deadlines by planning things which require a specific action by me - usually to do with cleaning, packing, etc.

We have been in the house since the end of February. I still do not have everything unpacked. Two rooms in the house are still utter disasters with unpacked boxes and clutter...it is driving me nuts.

I thought that a scheduled visit from my brother and niece would get it done. Nope.
Then I was sure that a visit from my sister, brother-in-law, and 2 nieces would motivate me to finish. Negative.
Surely a visit from my PARENTS was just what I needed to get it all done. Not even close.

My husband decided on a date for a housewarming party...he is certain we can get the last two rooms done and do a good cleaning on the rest of the house before then. Uh-huh, sure. I hope so, since the party is THIS Saturday!

Keep in mind, he made the decision about a week and a half ago...right before my parents came to visit. So, last weekend was out for getting all the unpacking done because we had a full weekend of plans with the folks.

Monday night, I had a work dinner. We did some more cleaning last night (and got quite a bit done, really), but it is not finished. I am leaving this afternoon for Milwaukee for a meeting...I will not be home until Friday NIGHT. I have until about 1:00pm on Saturday to get the house ready...get some caffeine ready! I will definitely need it!

The Exes

So, I have a few exes...yes, we’ll say “few.” They’ve each meant something different to me, and they are important parts of my PAST. Those relationships helped me become the loving, honest, open, and caring wife I am today. Here’s a recap:

The very first high school boyfriend
The obsessive, abusive high school boyfriend
The wishy-washy college-aged boyfriend
The very first college boyfriend
The passionate love of my 20s
The fiancé

Being in Sync

My husband and I are in sync. We can be thinking the exact thought at the same time. It’s weird sometimes. For example, on our way up to his family reunion on Friday, I was playing iPod DJ (which is a big honor). I picked out a few songs, and he asked, “You know what would be an awesome next song?” I replied, “Well, I have one picked out, but what would you like to hear?” He gave me the song title, and I gasped as I showed him the highlighted song on the screen...the exact song he wanted to hear. WOW.

Now, some of you might just mark this as coincidence. Some might say it was the next logical song choice, so of course you both picked it. Instead, I say it is because we are perfect for each other. He is absolutely my other half. I do not want to think about a life without him. He is my soul mate. He is my best friend. He is the person who knows me like no other can. He is my rock (and my roll, and my punk, pop, country, soul, blues, etc.). We finish each other's sentences. We say exactly the same thing at the same time. We freak each other out when we have the same idea about something. We laugh at each other when it happens.

I know it seems disgusting. I even find it nauseating at times. We are so shmoopy. We cannot help it. I am madly in love with that man!


During our weekend, I ventured off with JR's older sister and a cousin. We had a fabulous time sharing some drinks and participating in karaoke. Well, I sang while they watched and laughed. That was on night two of the trip, and JR's cousin said to me, "You know, I have learned a couple of things this weekend. You like to have a good time, and you absolutely love JR." I just smiled, nodded, and replied, "Yes. Yes I do. With my whole heart." I meant it for both things. I love to have a good time with my whole heart, and I love my husband with my whole heart. They go hand-in-hand...in sync.

It's the little things...

Last night I went to a Cubs game with my husband and about 15 other people on a bus from the YMCA...it was a good time, even though the Cubbies broke my husband's heart for the umpteenth time. On the drive back, he sat in the seat behind me. While I was taking a little snooze in my seat, leaned over resting my head on my arm, my husband rubbed the kinks out of my shoulders. For almost the entire ride. I felt so very loved to fall asleep on a bouncy bus while my dearest put away his own tired feelings for me. When we finally made it home and were in bed for the night I returned the favor by gently rubbing his back until he feel asleep. I felt just as loved doing that for him as I did when we was doing it for me.

The little things are the things that keep me going. The private joke. The funny face. The silly note. The touch of a hand on my shoulder. The kiss on the forehead. The cupcakes on a Saturday morning after a bad week. His knowing I am going to start crying as soon as we cross the Tennessee/Kentucky border on our way from from visiting my family, and knowing I won't stop crying until we hit Paducah. Coming up with a new way to tell me goodbye everyone morning (today was "Have a Terrific Tuesday! I love you!). Laughing so hard we cry. Dancing in the aisles of the grocery store. Singing at the top of our lungs in the shower, and the car, and the kitchen, and everywhere. Quoting movies as an entire conversation.

So many little things that we do for each other and together...I love them all.

The little things make my marriage wonderful and fresh everyday. Take time for those little things.

Thirty-five years...

Wow. I remember when my dad turned 30. He had a wife, four kids, a house, two cars, and a career in a tire factory... He felt old, and my mom threw him a surprise party to which all the guests brought gag gifts like denture cream and "old people" vitamins and such...I thought it was so funny 'cause "Daddy was old!" Yep.

When I turned 30 five years ago, the memory of dad's birthday was bittersweet. I realized my dad was NOT old when he turned 30. He's not old now! I realized that I was still in an apartment, not married, no kids...but I had a college degree and a office-job career. My dad celebrated his 30th birthday with friends and family at our house; I celebrated my 30th birthday on Bourbon Street in NOLA with my boyfriend (now husband).

I've come a long way in 35 years...and I still have a long way to go.

Here's to all the 35-year-old girls who just aren't ready to be grown-ups yet...

Three Things

If you’ve known me even a little well over the last ten years since my move to Chicago, you probably know that I am a Kevin Smith fan. Kevin Smith is the writer, director, and actor of such great films as Clerks, Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Dogma, Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back, Clerks II, etc. Mr. Smith plays Silent Bob – the character who speaks very seldom but always with profoundness.

A few years ago, I wrote a speech to deliver to my Toastmasters group about the three things I have learned from Kevin Smith movies. While I am at a point in my life in which “professional adult” outweighs “fan girl” a little too much for my liking, I still hold true to myself these lessons. Here’s a recap: